If you nodded your head “yes,” to all three statements, congratulations! You’re ready for a Napoleon grill.

The folks at Napoleon claim, “Boy scouts cook on a flame. Man scouts cook on a Napoleon.” It’s true; an excellent grill is the foundation of your outdoor kitchen. And Napoleon grills – new at Rich’s this season – redefine the definition of “excellence.” Every feature is engineered for ultimate performance.

In this article, we’ll show you several of these features, plus two fun recipes from the Napoleon grills blog.

We’re particularly impressed with the LEX and Mirage Series.

LEX 730 Gas Grill

This grill is an entire outdoor gourmet kitchen in one convenient cabinet. The cabinet has two doors for storage as well as gliding drawers for sauces and tools.

Made from high-grade stainless steel, the LEX 730 has – you guessed it – 730 square inches of grilling area. You can cook up to 40 burgers! You read that correctly: 40 burgers.

Multiple ways to cook

The LEX 730 is so versatile. You can:

Sear quickly over the integrated infrared burner.

Bake anything, from roasts to cakes. The double-walled lid and rear hood keeps the heat in.

Smoke, using the optional charcoal smoker tray or the smoker tube.

Grill like a pro over the stainless steel tube burners.

Use the infrared rear burner and a rotisserie for the perfect turkey.

Additional Features

Generous side shelves allow you to prep where you grill. One side shelf converts to a drink station with an integrated ice bucket.

The other is a gas range burner.

The iGlow backlit knobs have blue LED lights that illuminate the controls for nighttime grilling.

The JETFIRE™ ignition system shoots a jet of flame to light the burners.

It’s easy to sear juices into meat with the integrated infrared SIZZLE ZONE™ burner. With 16,000 BTUs, the infrared burner gets up to 1,800°F in seconds. Gas is forced through the tiny openings in the ceramic and the gas burns off, turning the ceramic red.

After searing your meat, you transfer it to the main burners to finish cooking.

Step 1: Preheat your grill to 350°F. Step 2: Remove the filling from at least 20 if not a whole package of cookies then use a rolling pin to crush them. In a medium sized bowl, combine the crushed cookies, with the melted butter and salt. *If you've got salted butter, skip the salt. Press the cookie mixture into the bottom of a well-greased, springform pan. Bake on the grill over indirect heat for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the grill and allow it to cool while you prepare the cheesecake.Step 3: In a mixing bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the cream cheese while slowly adding the sugar and cocoa. Add the vanilla and one egg at a time. Step 4: Add the Greek yogurt, your dye of choice, and then the flour. At this point, if you don't like the color, you can add more dye, a little at a time, until you're satisfied.Step 5: Once satisfied with the color of the cheesecake, pour the batter into the prepared pan. Fill an oven safe container with water, like a Pyrex dish, and place the water and cheesecake over indirect heat on the grill. Step 6: Bake the cheesecake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the middle is still a little like jello. The water pan is to create extra moisture to prevent cracking.Step 7: Allow the cheesecake to cool completely before removing the outer ring, and icing.Step 8: For the icing, mix the icing sugar with the milk until you have a thick paste. You may need more or less milk so add it a little at a time. In a separate bowl, whip the cream cheese until it is light and fluffy, then add the icing sugar mixture. Fill a piping bag and use your favorite tip to create a lovely pattern on the top of the cheesecake. Step 9: Chill until you are ready to serve.

DirectionsStep 1: Start by making the compound butter for the recipe. Mix the butter with the garlic, parsley, and rosemary. Either store them in the fridge or wrap it in waxed paper then let it marinate for at least 2 hours. The more it sits, the better the garlic butter flavor will be.Step 2: Place your pizza stone on your cold grill, and preheat them together to about 400°F.Step 3: Using a fork, blend all the dry ingredients for the dough. With your hands, break the butter into chunks and smoosh it together with the flour mixture. When it’s like bread crumbs, slowly add the milk, mixing until it makes a ball. Kneed it until the dough is smooth.Step 4: Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface. There should be enough dough there to make a 10 to 12-inch round pizza. Make sure that the dough is a little more than ¼-inch thick.Step 5: Melt the garlic butter and brush one side of the dough with the garlic butter. Carefully transfer the dough to a pizza peel coated with a little flour or corn meal. Place the dough, butter side down, on your pizza stone, or directly onto the grill to cook for 5 minutes. Step 6: After 5 minutes, flip the dough over and brush again with butter. Sprinkle some parmesan, followed by a healthy helping of mozzarella. Top the mozzarella with more parmesan. Grill the garlic fingers for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and starting to crisp up.Step 7: Remove the garlic fingers from the grill to a cutting board. Turn off the grill and allow it and the pizza stone to cool together.Step 8: Slice the garlic finger slab in half, then cut it into sticks for an enjoyably garlic finger experience.

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Stop by any of Rich’s five showrooms in Lynnwood, Bellevue, Tacoma, Tukwila, or Silverdale and ask to see our full line of Napoleon grills.

Loads of delicious food and drink recipes, plus inspiration for outdoor living on Rich's Pinterest boards.

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Monday, June 01, 2015

Who knew you could grill these yummy foods? We’ll try grilling, smoking, baking, and roasting practically any food, so we were entranced by the HouseBeautiful article, “13 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Grill.”

We scoured our grilling boards on Pinterest to find more fun things to grill. Give these recipes a try and let us know which ones you like best!

Shrimp cocktail is one of our favorite any-time appetizers, but we usually make it by adding a dollop of store-bought cocktail sauce to fresh, pre-cooked shrimp. This recipe sounds much more appetizing!

For this recipe, you’ll coat deveined shrimp with a concoction of garlic, cilantro, lime, red chile pepper flakes, chopped ginger and olive oil. Slide them on skewers and grill just until they are no longer translucent. (See full recipe at Mamma's Gotta Bake)

What could be better than a showstopping appetizer that takes only 1 minute to cook? These red grapes are tossed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red-chile flakes, and garlic cloves and cooked over glowing red coals. Serve them with grilled bread and a lump of burrata or fresh mozzarella cheese. (See full recipe at GQ Grill Guide)

People laugh when they see recipes for ice cubes. Let’s face it; making ice cubes is a no-brainer. But SMOKED ice cubes? That’s a different story.

Ice that has been smoked, melted, and refrozen as cubes makes a terrific conversation piece for summer parties. Find a Tupperware container and freeze a big ‘ol slab of ice. Transfer the ice into a perforated, disposable aluminum grill pan and place that pan over a second, unslotted pan. Smoke until done. How will you know when it’s done? (See full recipe at GQ Grill Guide)

This recipe makes our mouths water for Thanksgiving dinner. So we’re thankful for this recipe that features Washington’s most bountiful fruit and makes us feel all warm and fuzzy.

The author of the blog, Another Pint Please, writes: “After an hour on the grill, the apples really take on an interesting medley of taste. You get the savory smoky taste of sausage, followed by the sweetness of the maple syrup, surrounded by the tart hint of apple.”

Rich's is the largest retailer of outdoor grills and grilling accessories in the Pacific Northwest. Stop by any of Rich’s 5 showrooms in Lynnwood, Bellevue, Tacoma, Tukwila, or Silverdale and ask to see our full line of grills and smokers.

Loads of delicious food and drink recipes, plus inspiration for outdoor living on Rich's Pinterest boards.

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Peel and cut about 1/2 inch of the onion tops. Trim off a small amount of the bottom of onions so they stand upright. With spoon, scoop out a few of the inner the layers of the onion leaving the majority of the outer layers.

Brush onions with olive oil and liberally sprinkle seasoning over each onion. Wrap bacon slices around each onion; secure with toothpick.

Prep Big Green Egg smoker to 250 degrees F.

Combine basting sauce ingredients in a mixing bowl. Put 2 tablespoons of sauce in the center of each onion. Smoke for 2 hours. Baste every 30 minutes. The last 5-10 minutes, place cheese inside and around onions allowing melting. Garnish with parsley

Put bacon roll ups on EGG and allow them to cook until finished. Make sure the bacon isn’t too crispy.

If using real flower stems, remove the flowers from the stems carefully. You may need to use scissors. Insert half a toothpick into the top of the stem. Remove the toothpicks from the bacon roll up and insert onto stem toothpick.

If using wooden skewers, simply remove the toothpicks from the bacon roll up and insert onto skewer.

Whichever method you choose, you will likely need to use a ribbon to tie the stems/skewers together towards the top so they don’t fall over and put them in a vase or wrap.

EGGcited about Big Green Egg?

Rich’s is one of the largest Big Green Egg retailers in the Pacific Northwest. Stop by one of Rich’s five showrooms and browse our huge selection of Big Green Eggs, EGG carts, and EGGcessories. We stock (or you can special order) everything from a trailer hitch for your EGG to woks, paella pans, cooking grids, pizza cutters, poultry roasters, lump charcoal, tables, grid cleaners, cookbooks, seasonings, and more.

Loads of delicious food and drink recipes, plus inspiration for outdoor living on Rich's Pinterest boards.

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We invite you to visit Rich’s five showrooms in Lynnwood, Bellevue, Tacoma, Tukwila and Silverdale, WA during 2015. For more details about our products and for directions to our showrooms, visit richshome.com.

Loads of delicious food and drink recipes, plus great ideas for outdoor living on Rich's Pinterest boards.

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Monday, June 30, 2014

Have you planned your menu for 4th of July yet? Whether you’re hosting a family BBQ, getting together with neighbors for a block party, or spending the evening at home, you’ll want to crank up the grill and try out these recipes from our friends at Weber Grills.

Strawberries are in season, and this strawberries and ice cream recipe, with a hint of orange liqueur, is sure to tickle your sweet tooth. It’s from Weber's Way to Grill™ by Jamie Purviance.

Grills, Grills, Grills!

At Rich's, we stock the Northwest's largest selection of outdoor grills, including a full line of Weber griills. Stop by any of our five Puget Sound stores in Lynnwood, Bellevue, Tacoma, Tukwila, or Silverdale.

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For more details about our products and for directions to our showrooms, visit richshome.com.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

The most versatile cooking device ever, the Big Green Egg is a modern ceramic marvel known for producing amazing culinary results. This unique egg-shaped ceramic cooker is a combination grill, oven, and smoker.

The grill sears perfect steaks, chops, or burgers at “steak house” temps of up to 750° F.

NEW: MiniMax – Designed with the same height of a Mini yet all the volume capabilities of a Small. Its compact size is perfect as a table-side cooker at your garden party or grilling on balconies for an intimate dinner for two.

EGGcessories

Stop by one of Rich’s five Puget Sound showrooms and browse our huge selection of EGGcessories. We stock (or you can special order) everything from a trailer hitch for your EGG to woks, paella pans, cooking grids, pizza cutters, poultry roasters, lump charcoal, tables, grid cleaners, cookbooks, seasonings, and more.

Recipes

Here are links to three recipes for the EGG that we thought you’d enjoy.

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The Plate Setter is used for indirect cooking on the Big Green Egg, providing a barrier between the food and the fire and turning your EGG into an outdoor convection oven. The design of the Plate Setter allows heat to radiate within the dome while preventing the flames and direct heat of the fire from reaching the food.

A ceramic EGG is filled with pest-resisting citronella candle. Contains 3% citronella to repel insects. For outdoor use only.

Video

Here’s a short video in which Big Green Egg owner, Moe Cason, shares his passion for the EGG:

Recipes

Here are links to three recipes for the EGG that we thought you’d enjoy.

Each week on O’Neill Outside (airing on NBC Sports, SportSouth and SunSports, watch the “Outdoor Cooking on the Big Green Egg” segments. Here’s one where Jamie Rosenthal demonstrates how to prepare quiche on the Big Green Egg.

Brisket can be a tough cut of meat if not cooked properly. But when topped with with sweet and spicy mango chutney and cooked low and slow this brisket recipe from the Big Green Egg Cookbook (available at Rich’s) will be tender. Leftover brisket is great shredded and turned into barbecue beef sandwiches.

Dos Equis, sausage and cheese, oh my! Dos Equis contributes just the right amount of malt balance and light hop character to the savory and spicy chorizo. Serve this fondue with warm tortilla chips or chunks of crusty bread, washed down with an ice cold Dos Equis.

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For more details about our products and for directions to our showrooms, visit richshome.com.

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Monday, June 25, 2012

Corn on the cob is a staple of every backyard party, family reunion, company picnic, and camping trip. There’s nothing better than munching sweet corn dripping with butter when it’s hot off the grill.

We scoured the websites of several of our grill manufacturers – Traeger, Big Green Egg, Vermont Castings, Weber, Sawtooth, and BeefEater – and found delicious corn on the cob recipes to share with you. Enjoy!

Place the corn in a plastic bag and fill the bag with water to soak the husks for about 15 minutes.

Place the butter in a small dish and melt in the microwave oven. Add the garlic, chili powder, and salt and heat for several seconds. Set aside.

Remove the corn from the bag of water and place the corn on the grill. Turn every few minutes to evenly blacken all sides of the husks. Grill for 18 to 22 minutes. (The kernels will steam in the husks.)

Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (350° to 450°F).

In a small bowl mash the butter ingredients with the back of a fork and then stir to distribute the seasonings throughout the butter. Brush about 1 tablespoon of the seasoned butter all over each ear of corn.

Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the corn over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until browned in spots and tender, 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove from the grill and serve warm with the remaining butter spread on the corn.

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Monday, May 07, 2012

Paul Hogan made this phrase famous way back in 1984, during a Tourism Australia TV commercial.

Now, Americans can slip another shrimp on the barbie in authentic Aussie fashion with the BeefEater grill, designed and manufactured in – you guessed it – Australia.

At Rich’s, we’re showing off the 4-burner gas grill with a designer cabinet trolley and a pizza oven option.

Several features make the BeefEater barbeque unique:

1. The stainless steel burners are closer to the cooking surface than on most grills, giving the barbecue intense heat potential. If you’ve ever met a professional chef, you know they cook most everything at extremely high heat, and this barbie delivers!

2. The cooking surfaces are rust-free porcelain-coated cast iron, and the grids and griddle are premium stainless steel.

3. The griddle is a nice touch, allowing you to sauté mushrooms or asparagus, fry bacon & eggs, or grill soft fish (and shrimp!) without it falling through cracks in the cooking grid.

4. A side burner is included, so you can keep hot-off-the-grill foods hot or simultaneously grill and cook additional items.

5. Perhaps the most inviting feature of the 4-burner barbecue is the optional pizza oven.

Pizza ovens are this season’s must-have outdoor accessory, and thanks to BeefEater, they’re now affordable, too. When you place the pizza oven atop the grill, it converts the barbecue into a high-heat oven.

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For more details about our products and for directions to our showrooms, visit richshome.com.

Monday, December 05, 2011

You know it's going to happen. We're going to have one of our famous Pacific Northwest wind storms and the power is going to go out. Depending on what neck of the woods you live in, your power may stay out for days.

When the inevitable happens, you don't have to bundle up in wool blankets or heat up cans of baked beans over your camp stove. If you own a Lopi or Avalon wood stove with a cooktop, you can simultaneously stay toasty and cook dinner.

A stove with a direct cooktop will run at about 600 degrees, so you'll want to put your saucepan or frying pan on a cast iron trivet to keep the heat flowing evenly.

A stove with a cooktop will also have a warming surface, which has air circulating around it so it's not as hot as the direct cooktop. The warming surface is is ideal for mulling cider or heating hot cocoa or soup.

In this video from our friends at Travis Industries in Mukilteo (manufacturer of Avalon and Lopi hearth products), you'll learn some good tips for cooking on your wood stove.

The video also includes some excellent tips for operating and maintaining your wood stove:

Cleaning:Don’t ever clean all of the ashes out of the firebox. Always leave 1- 1 ½ inches of ash bed inside the bed of the firebox. This makes it easier to start a fire because it builds up the temperature more quickly, and will establish a coal bed faster.

Door GasketOnce a year check the door gasket -- that’s the figerglass weave rope that goes around the inside of the stove's door. If the door gasket compacts too much, you’ll bring air in around the door feeding the fire and you won’t have as much control on your air control. Depending on how often you open and close the door, you'll want to replace the door gasket annually to semi-annually.

ChimneyHave a chimney sweep inspect and clean your chimney at least once a season. (Call your local Rich's store to arrange for a chimney cleaning.)

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For more details about our products and for directions to our five Puget Sound showrooms, visit Rich's website, richshome.com

Monday, November 21, 2011

While holiday meals traditionally mean “turkey and stuffing” or “ham," many of us dare to think outside the box. Last Thanksgiving, in addition to the usual big bird, my brother smoked a delicious roast in his outdoor grill.

If you’d like to try something different, here are some delicious recipes you can prepare on your Broilmaster grill or Big Green Egg.

Use a vegetable peeler to slice the carrots, zucchini, and squash into wide, thin ribbons, then cut the ribbons lengthwise into thin julienned slices with a knife. You will have a medley of brightly colored vegetables all intertwined like long, thin, beautiful noodles. This is a dish that cooks in a matter of minutes and would go well as a side dish with roasted chicken or pork.

Porcelain coated grid, Dutch OvenSet the EGG for direct cooking with the porcelain coated grid.Preheat the EGG to 400ºF.Set the Dutch Oven on the grid and preheat for 10 minutes.To make the sauce, use a whisk to stir the lemon juice, orange juice, vinegar, soy sauce, and red curry paste together in a small bowl.

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For more details about our products and for directions to our five Puget Sound showrooms, visit Rich's website, richshome.com

The downloadable e-book features over 50 original recipes developed exclusively for owners of Traeger Pellet Grills. Even better, the recipes use ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, and no special equipment is necessary. You'll be making your own jerky in no time.

Around our house, we make our own jerky, particularly salmon, beef, and chicken. You can turn other lean proteins such as turkey and venison into smoked meat snacks, too.

And as for the health benefits of jerky, it provides a quick energy boost for athletes, students, outdoorsmen, travelers – even commuters. Homemade jerky also makes for a great gift, if you don’t eat it all yourself first!

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“With less than half the salt content of most commercially available seasoning salts, about half the heat of the commercial cajun seasonings and a wonderful balance of salt, pepper, onion, garlic, paprika (for color) and chipotle (smoked sweet red ripened jalapeños), Butt Rub® enhances everything in the kitchen!”

So we’re thinking, “This Butt Rub could be good on salmon.” And since we grill a lot of salmon during the summer, we’re always looking for creative ways to season it.

Apply a liberal coating of Butt Rub® on both sides. Let it sit while you prepare the glaze.

Molasses Glaze:

In a sauce pan combine molasses, a couple of cloves of crushed garlic and balsamic vinegar to taste. Be careful not to overpower with the vinegar. Also if you have a strong molasses, you can add a small amount of good (grade B) maple syrup.

Let this mixture simmer for a few minutes.

In a 450-475° oven, roast the salmon fillet on a sheet pan with the molasses mixture on top for about 10-15 minutes.

We’re going to tweak this recipe just a tad, and instead of roasting it in the boring old oven, we’re heading outside to grill it on a brand new Sawtooth Pellet Grill.

This grill, new at Rich’s this season and currently on special for $999, has a monstrous cooking surface (670+ square inches). Definitely large enough to fit an extra large salmon fillet. Or two. Plus, it’s “made with pride” in Boise Idaho, so we can feel good about buying American.

Ben and I spotted 20 lb. bags of flavored BBQ pellets near the Sawtooth grill, in delectable flavors such as cherry, oak, alder, mesquite, pecan, hickory, and apple.

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2 large portions of fresh salmon1/8 cup of brown sugar1/2 cup of honey2 tablespoons of butter2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

Directions

Combine brown sugar, honey, butter and Worcestershire sauce together in a bowl and microwave until you have a creamy consistency.

Place the salmon into the bowl and marinate for about 15 minutes.

Place the salmon on a sheet of foil and then put it on the grill. Continue to baste the salmon while it is cooking with the extra marinade. The salmon will be done in 10 - 12 minutes. Do not overcook the salmon!

Cook kebabs on oiled barbecue grill for 10 seconds each side or until icing sugar caramelizes. Serve immediately with ice cream.

Tips

Remember to soak bamboo or wooden skewers in water before using; this helps to prevent them from burning during cooking. Before threading food onto skewers, lightly oil them so that the cooked food is easy to remove. For this recipe, use a light-tasting oil such as canola or sunflower.

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Monday, June 06, 2011

That’s the theory of Jamie Purviance, author of a new cookbook called, Weber's Time to Grill: Get In. Get Out. Get Grilling.

Purviance, a New York Times best-selling author and 2010 James Beard Award nominee, came up with an ingenious idea for presenting the 200-plus recipes in this new cookbook. He pairs the recipes on two-page spreads. On the left-hand page, you’ll find “easy” recipes that require 15 minutes or less of prep time. On the right-hand page are “adventurous” recipes, with prep times of 30 minutes or so.

Each pair of recipes use a common set of easy-to-find supermarket ingredients.

“This is the only place you will find a barbecue classic such as slow-cooked ribs, right beside a version that takes half the time ribs normally require,” says Purviance.

When you purchase the cookbook, you will get access to the exclusive "timetogrill.mobi” website, where you’ll find a grocery list for all the recipes and you can search by recipe titles, category, or page number. The site also includes a grill timer that can you can set for any recipe, and you can add notes to your favorite recipes.

The 304-page cookbook retails for $24.95 (MSRP). We stock Weber's Time to Grill at Rich’s Bellevue and Lynnwood stores.

Grilling Tips from Jamie Purviance

Here are a several excellent grilling tips from Jamie Purviance that I adapted from in the June 2011 issue of The Costco Connection:

Check Fuel

You don’t want to run out of gas or charcoal while cooking your meal. So before you crank up the grill, make sure you’re stocked up on fuel.

Preheat the Grill

Close the lid and preheat on high for about 15 minutes, until it reaches about 500 degrees. This will give your meat a nice sear (and will make it easier for you to clean the grate).

What NOT to do

Don’t grill a cold steak

A dry or burned steak isn’t very tasty. And the longer a steak cooks, the more dry it gets. Let the steak stand at room temperature for 15-30 minutes.

Don’t open the lid too often

Resist the temptation to keep peeking at the steak. Opening the lid frequently slows cooking time. And to repeat the mantra above, “the longer a steak cooks, the more dry it gets.”

Don’t poke at the meat

Poking, turning, or fiddling with the meat doesn’t help matters. It merely releases the flavor-infusing smoke into the air (instead of into your meat).

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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

I’m always on the hunt for unique, affordable gifts for graduations, weddings, Father’s Day, and birthdays. I recently discovered the SodaStream at Rich’s. These sleek, stylish machines turn tap water into sparkling water or soda in seconds.

Here’s what sold me on the SodaStream: Once you make the initial investment of $99 for the Genesis Bundle Kit, plus purchase syrup flavors (each concentrated bottle makes the equivalent of 33 cans of soda), you’re set. This baby doesn’t even use electricity!

If you drink a lot of sparkling water or soda, you’ll definitely save a ton of money over the long haul; the folks at SodaStream estimate their concoctions cost 25 cents per 12-ounce can of soda or 25 cents per liter of sparkling water.

How it Works

Fill SodaStream’s carbonating bottle with tap water. Secure it to your soda maker. Then press the carbonating button a few times to add the fizz. Presto! Sparkling water.

If you want soda, add a capful of the concentrated sodamix to the carbonating bottle and shake gently.

These specially designed, high pressure-resistant bottles are BPA-free and may be reused for up to two years. The glass carafes included with the Penguin soda maker may be used indefinitely, with proper care. Every SodaStream bottle and carafe comes with a fizz-preserving cap that helps to keep drinks fresh and fizzy longer than store-bought bottles.

Speaking of Fizz…

SodaStream Carbonators are made of lightweight aluminum and come in two sizes, to make up to 60 or 130 liters of soda or sparkling water per carbonator. A full, licensed CO2 carbonator is included with the purchase of every SodaStream soda maker kit. I recommend investing in a spare CO2, which costs $24.99 at Rich’s.

SodaStream takes back the empty cylinders to be cleaned, inspected, refilled and reused. Carbonators may be exchanged online, or at select SodaStream authorized retailers.

Raves about SodaStream

Rich’s customer, Brenna Douglas, posted this on our Facebook page:

"We just love our SodaStream that we got at Rich's. Thank you for having all the refills and flavors. We now have so much less recycling and save money!!"

Share Your SodaStream Thoughts on Facebook

Do you have a SodaStream? What do you think of it? Tell us about it at Rich's Facebook page. Hope you’ll “like” us, and encourage your Facebook friends to join us, too.

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Monday, May 09, 2011

Which outdoor cooking appliance can you use year-round in the Pacific Northwest, even during our typical drizzly weather?

A Big Green Egg, of course. That’s because the EGG is a smoker, a grill and an oven all rolled into one.

You can grill steaks and chops perfectly, cooking at temperatures up to 750°F for steakhouse searing.

You can smoke fallin’-off-the-bone ribs or a juicy brisket at a low temperature of 200° to 250°F.

Whether you’re searing or slow cooking, you can prepare the entire meal on the grill by adding any of your favorite vegetables to the cooking grid.

You can even bake cornbread, biscuits, bread, pie, or cobbler in your EGG!

It’s no wonder Big Green Eggs have a rabid loyal following -- called EGGheads -- throughout the country. You’ll find plenty of EGGheads in the Puget Sound area, as well, as evidenced by Rich’s 67 percent increase in the sale of Big Green Eggs and EGGcessories.

The EGG Cart

To kick off our celebration of National Barbecue Month, we’d like to introduce you to an EGGciting new product we’re carrying this season: The EGG cart.

Frankly, I’m delighted about this cart, because the ceramic EGGs, while durable, are a tad unwieldy to haul around. The Mini EGG weighs 30 pounds, while the XL EGG weighs in at a whopping 205 pounds (and has a 24-inch diameter cooking grid).

The powder-coated cart (pictured above) brings the EGG up to a comfortable cooking level and includes a stainless steel surface for food preparation (you can choose a right- or left-handed orientation).

The table’s heavy-duty wheels lock for easy maneuvering and stability, and the handle doubles as a towel rack and grate holder.

There’s ample storage space for charcoal, propane tanks, racks, and tools, plus there’s vertical cabinet space for storing accessories such as pizza stones or a ceramic plate setter. There’s also a large drawer with soft-close slides for holding grilling accessories.

The Cart's Dimensions

Length: 54”

Width: 30.66”

Height: 34.38”

Weight: 185 lbs.

Also available are easy-lift straps for grill installation and a cover to keep your table, EGG, and EGGcessories protected.

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Monday, December 27, 2010

We’re so grateful that you’ve chosen to spend time reading Rich’s blog; our goal is to provide you with the best information about stoves and fireplaces, hot tubs and spas, outdoor grills and patio furniture.

Here’s a look back at some of our most popular articles during 2010, organized by category:

You won’t want to miss a single blog post in 2011. Subscribe to our blog via your feed reader or receive our latest posts in your e-mail Inbox. Simply click “Subscribe to this blog’s feed” or fill out the form located in the righthand sidebar of our blog.